What You Don't Know
by LIFE the RANGER
Summary: Nico sees Percy in the halls, and the brunette is a mystery to him. Especially since Percy has given himself a bad reputation at school, one that follows him wherever he happens to go. There's a lot that Nico doesn't know about Percy, and he's okay with that. And there's a lot about Nico Percy doesn't know, but he'd like to change that. Rated T for language and such
1. Chapter 1-Introducing Percy

Yes, I'm very aware of everything else I have to do. But it's been a pretty charged day, and this idea started forming before I could stop it, so I'm going to write it down before I lose it completely.

…

Nico's POV

…

"Ugh." I looked up when my best friend, Jason, made a noise of disgust. "Look at what we have here," he whispered to me. "Discreetly," he hissed as I turned to look. I slowed my pace, looking at Percy Jackson, the big man on campus. Oh, not because he was a very popular kid, though he kind of was. No, Percy had a twenty mile high reputation. Seriously, if you lived within twenty miles of our town, you would've heard of this guy. He strutted in like he was hot shit, his banned sunglasses still perched on his nose. I thought the principal had threatened him with in-school suspension for a month if he wore them around again?

See, Percy was considered a slut by many of our peers. I don't think he had a sexual orientation to speak of, since he'd been seen romanticizing with anyone that walked upright. There'd once been a rumor that he'd fucked a dog at some point, but it was so ludicrous that we just dropped it entirely. Besides, he didn't strike me as much of a bestiality kind of guy. Not to say he was completely a bad guy. He took AP classes, so he clearly had adequate intelligence. But oftentimes he seemed to lack common sense. He also couldn't keep his dick in his pants, but that was another story entirely.

"He looks freshly fucked actually," I commented lightly as he removed his sunglasses. He kind of did. The glossed over eyes of lust, the slightly swollen, red, freshly kissed lips, the messy and tousled hair. "Wonder who the unlucky victim was this time." As if on cue, out swaggered Will Solace, who went right up to Percy and slapped his ass, causing the brunette to jump in surprise. Obviously sore. "Unbelievable," I said with a shake of my head. "Is nowhere safe for the sexual deviant?"

"No," Jason said with an eye roll. "Isn't it disgusting? How the hell can he be proud of something like that?" Indeed he appeared quite pleased with himself. He sat down at a table and hitched a leg up on an empty chair, flashing all the curious onlookers a huge grin. "I'd be so ashamed if I were even caught making out with my girlfriend in a classroom, let alone have sex in them."

"You're just sour because the one time you tried, Piper ran away," I replied to that. He gave me a wounded look that was totally fake. I just sniggered. Yeah, I'd heard about that. I'd kept it to myself until now, however, because it was good blackmail material. "Oh quit it," I said at last. "I do admit, he's a mystery to me. I certainly wouldn't be strutting around like I owned the fucking world after that."

"I'm glad you're not like that," Jason replied, more or less ignoring the last thing I said. "I can smell the sex on him from here." I wished Jay was joking, but it did kind of reek of sweat and something sickeningly sweet in the lunch room all of a sudden. That wasn't the only curious thing. Will walked by Percy and bent low to whisper in the boy's ear. He sat up straight, his eyes going momentarily wide before he swallowed once and nodded. Will handed him something, then moved on.

"Wonder what he's up to now," I said, though to be honest I really couldn't care less. Percy intrigued me, sure, but not enough to actually get to know him. Besides, I didn't want to be known as one of Percy Jackson's boy toys. That label had no real meaning anymore since all but, like, five of us had been his boy toy at one point or another. Jason was completely repulsed by the idea, so he tended to avoid Percy like he carried a deadly disease in his pocket. Not to mention Jason was fiercely loyal to his girlfriend. I watched Percy rise, heading for a table full of girls.

"Oh this should be interesting," Jason murmured, leaning over the table to get a better view. We both watched in silent fascination as Percy leaned over, gently caressing one of girl's cheeks. She turned to him, stunned. He whispered something to her, to which she giggled and nodded. He straightened, walking off. But not before glancing over his shoulder and giving her a wink. "What does he want with Katie?" Jason asked. "Hasn't he had enough already."

"Pretty sure nothing stops that guy," I said, standing at last. "Just ignore him. I swear you're obsessed with him or something." Jason shook his head, sliding his tray over to me. "Fine," I said, picking his tray up with mine. "But's going to cost you." Jason narrowed his eyes. "Just the usual," I added.

"I buy you a banana split from Dairy Freeze every Friday," he replied. "What makes today any different."

"It'll be my victory banana split today," I said with a smile, waltzing off to dump out trays. I smirked to myself. Ah, I loved Jay. He was like the brother I never got to have. But he could be so easy to sway sometimes. Not manipulate, but sway. Yeah, I wasn't a monster.

The bell rang overhead, signaling the start of fourth hour. I sighed. One thing about going to lunch first was that fourth hour seemed to drag by. I swung around to the table to scoop up my bag, then headed to class. I stopped, however, when I saw Percy leaning against the lockers, his eyes cast downward, staring at his hundred dollar sneakers. Why wasn't he off to his AP classes? He might've been a little slut, but he was a punctual little slut.

"Hey," he greeted softly without even looking up. I stumbled back, only slightly surprised. I thought he hadn't seen me to be honest. "You know," he purred, finally looking up. "You're actually very pretty." My stomach twisted itself in knots. "You know, we could…"

"Stop," I said, raising a hand. "I'm not interested." Percy yawned, and I wondered if he even heard anything I'd said. I rolled my eyes and moved passed him.

"Bummer," he replied, sounding disappointed. "I would've enjoyed some time with you." I shuddered. I didn't know what that meant. And I was content not to know.

…

Percy's POV

…

I mounted the steps to my apartment, sucking in a breath. I let my sunglasses dangle off my shirt. I didn't care anymore. I felt the wrinkled twenty in my pocket, and I swear my cheeks burned. I let myself in, noticing the dark entryway. Where was mom?

"Mom?" I called uncertainly. "Where are you?"

"Back here honey," mom called. I sighed in relief. "Back here" was her small study, which was nothing more than a converted coat closet that we'd stuffed a small desk into. She wanted to be an author, so she spent a lot of time in there, just writing. I wandered back, sticking my head in. "How was school?" she asked, abandoning her current notebook.

"It was, uh, good," I replied, finally feeling ashamed for what I had to do. "Hey, I got this." I thrusted the rumpled bill at her. Her eyes widened. "I overheard you talking to grandpa," I admitted. "I didn't want you to borrow more money from them again. They've done enough. So I got this. You know, cause it's the last of the money you need to pay for the electric."

"Oh sweetie," mom said, pulling me to herself. "You're such a good boy." I smiled, hoping she wouldn't notice how forced it really was. "Is that a knock on the door?" she asked. I strained to listen, and, sure enough, I heard a faint knock on our apartment door.

"I'll go get it," I told her, kissing her cheek. "You go back to writing." She gave me a soft smile, turning back to her work. I felt a little better as I made my way up to the front door, only to have that feeling dashed as soon as I saw who was on the other side. "Oh, hi Will," I greeted the tall blonde boy. "I thought you said you weren't going to come by until later."

"I have an actual date tonight," he said shortly, letting himself in. I stared at him for a moment. "Look kid, I need the money back."

"What?" I asked, stupefied. "I told you my conditions Will. Besides, I already gave it to my mom. We need it Will." He eyed me coolly

"If I can't have the money itself," he said lowly, grabbing my wrists. "Then you'll give it to me in other ways." I gulped. "And you can forget about our other deal."

"Will, you know I need the food," I said weakly. "She didn't have enough money for groceries this week." Will simply rolled his eyes.

"You're financial struggles are not my concern," he replied. "Besides, I only said I could _consider_ giving you food. I never once said that I actually would." I forced down the growing anxiety. I would not let Will bait me into this again.

"Katie offered me twice as much as what you offered," I said smugly. "And Travis offered to buy dinner and pay me for my deeds." Will sneered, shoving me back until I hit the wall. My eyes widened as I gazed up at him. "Will?" I asked.

"I could always just tell everyone that you took advantage of me, then robbed when you were done," he threatened. "But you know I won't do that," he added in a much gentler tone, running his fingers over the small scar on my cheek. "Because you're my special little boy," I dropped my gaze. Truth be told, I'd always run back to Will when I was in desperate need, because Will would always take care of me somehow. "And you know I hate it when you whore yourself out to everyone else."

"I don't 'whore myself out,'" I retorted. "And I am careful about how I handle myself. I'm not completely helpless you know." Will snorted, patting my head, then handed me an extra twenty. "I thought you needed the money back?" I asked, holding the money up questioningly.

"Oh just keep it and buy yourself something nice," Will said, waving his hand. "You amuse me." He left as quickly and quietly as he came, leaving me to stand there completely stunned. I gazed down at the twenty in my hand. _My whore money_. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I raked my fingers through my hair, suddenly feeling completely exhausted. I knew what I did wasn't right, but I had to do what I had to do.

You see, my situation was an interesting one. Let me start with my darling mother. She made just enough to scrape by most week working at the candy store, but she still struggled to make ends meet. My grandparents helped however they could, but they weren't rich by any means. So I would…do deeds…for my classmates, on the condition they paid me however they could for them. Not that I was always proud of it, but I had managed to have some fun times in the process.

I sighed, making my way to my room. I shut my door softly, staring at the plain wood for a moment as I felt the tears well. This happened to me sometimes. I'd get all sentimental for no real reason. I dabbed at my eyes, steeling my nerves. When I started doing this last year, I told myself, over and over, this was how it would be. And so it was. It was actually exactly how I expected. And of course I was aware of my own reputation. Kinda hard not to hear the rumors. I'd literally have to be deaf to not hear them. I mean, people could think anything they wanted. But I swore everyone I slept with into secrecy so word wouldn't spread that I was doing it for money.

Speaking of making money, I checked my phone, wondering if any of the dozens of people I'd messaged would even respond to my message. Despite having this horrible reputation following me like a bad odor, I had a lot of friends on Facebook. I saw that some of my regulars had responded minutes after I'd sent the call, but one that did catch my eye was Katie. She was a very pretty girl indeed. And while I didn't particularly care for females (I much preferred my male clients) I wouldn't snub thirty dollars an hour to do pretty much whatever she wanted. When they were first time people, it was often times a lot of kissing and foreplay, with very little sex involved at all.

 _Hey baby girl_ , I messaged Katie, feeling bile rise in my throat as I typed it out. _You know, I was thinking of you all day today. I couldn't get your pretty face out of my mind. Wanna meet up tonight_? I sent the message before I lost my nerve. The response was instantaneous.

 _You bet_! She sounded a bit too enthusiastic for this. _Meet at that little diner on Main? I have a nice surprise for you ;)._ I wrinkled my nose.

 _See you there beautiful_ , I replied. I pocketed my phone, giving a deep sigh. I took a moment to gather myself, then grabbed my keys where I'd carelessly tossed them on my bed.

"Mom. I'm going out!" I called into the house, closing the door before she could ask where.

…

This will mostly be from Nico's POV, but I had to showcase Percy in all his glory this chapter.


	2. Chapter 2-The Party

Hmmm I haven't thought about this one much since it went up, but it definitely has the potential to be good, so long as I don't botch up anything. Let's see how I do.

…

Nico's POV

…

I licked my lips as Jason set my sundae down in front of me. Piper slid in next to me, shooting a smile my way. Jason wandered off to return the tray, and I dug in. They were out of bananas, and rather than make Joshua, the one in charge tonight, run to the store for more, I'd convinced Jason to get me a turtle sundae. And of course, being the proper gentleman he was, he'd invited his girlfriend along and paid for all of us.

"Are you stealing my girl di Angelo?" he asked when he made his way back to us, sliding into the booth across from us. Piper shot him a look, but I held up a hand. He was just joking. For two reasons. One being that I was gay and wouldn't steal his girl if I wanted to. And two, Piper was as devoted to him as he was to her. I had about as much chance of dating Piper as I did dating my sundae.

"Please Grace," I said. "I have as much sexual threat as a potato." At that Jay cracked a smile, and Piper covered her mouth like she was trying not to laugh. "Oh hello, what's this," I mumbled. Jason turned, and I saw his whole body stiffen. Great. Thanks for ruining our Friday night out Percy. I rolled my eyes. He was arm in arm with Katie, who giggled at something he said. He glanced up, saw us, and flinched for a moment. He whispered something to her, then strode over.

"Hey," he said as he got to us. "Look, Nico…" Whatever he was about to say, I'd never know. Jay was up so fast I didn't have time to comprehend what was happening. He had Percy by the front of the shirt, and had him against the booth behind him.

"How the hell do you know his name?" Jay asked. For the first time I could remember, Percy looked decently startled. Jay wasn't much of a fighter, but you bet your ass he'd defend his friends. "Talk Jackson," my friend growled, shoving Percy back a few steps. He stumbled before righting himself, a cocky grin on his face.

"I know everyone's name Jason Grace," he replied, and Jay recoiled like he'd been slapped. I had to admit, I was impressed with his knowledge. He probably had to be thorough, given his reputation though. "And Piper McLean," he added, tilting his head in Piper's direction. She tried for a small smile, but she disliked Percy about as much as her boyfriend did. "Look, I didn't mean to startle you all," he said, spreading his hands in a pacifying gesture. "I just want to talk."

"And fuck us all later?" Jason challenged. Percy seemed to contemplate an answer, and I shuddered. Really Percy? You have to think about it? "Thanks. Bye." Jason plopped down on his side of the booth, signaling the end to the conversation. Percy lingered a moment before slowly moving on, his eyes on us most of the way. "Good fucking riddance," Jason mumbled when he was finally out of earshot. "What the hell was that about?"

"We're like the only three people at school he hasn't slept with," I pointed out. "Of course he's going to try and talk us into something. Even the most innocent of us have fallen." I stabbed my spoon in the direction of Katie, who giggled as Percy whispered in her ear, feeling her up in the process. My stomach heaved. It was one thing to hear about it; another entirely to see it in action. It made me sick. How could they even do that in public? Jason and Piper were so shy about their relationship. Then again, they were the only ones I really spent time with, so I supposed my only exposer to couple-y type things was them. Maybe other couples did things like this.

"Sickening," Jason said, shaking his head. "Let's take our stuff to go guys. I can't stand to be around them," He scooped up his cup of soft serve, rising. Piper and I followed suit, trailing behind him as he led the way out to his beat up Chevy. I snuck a look back at Percy and Katie, so lost in each other I could feel it though the glass. "You coming Neeks?" Jay asked, climbing behind the wheel. Piper slipped in beside him, practically crushing herself against his side in order to make room for me on the single bench seat in Jason's truck.

"Yeah coming," I replied, swinging up inside the truck. Jason handed me his cup, since he didn't drive one-handed when he had passengers in the car. "What were they even doing there if all they were going to do is stick their tongues down each other's throats?" Granted, they hadn't been kissing when we left, but they were doing everything beyond that point anyway, so they might as well have been.

"I would rather not talk about Percy's…adventures," Jason replied to that. Adventures. Right, that's what they were. It was definitely a softened version of what he really did. I often wondered why he couldn't seem to keep it in his pants. After all, it didn't seem that hard. Zippers were invented for more than just tightening ones pants. "Since we left our usual hang out, where shall we go instead?" Jason asked us.

"Dunno," Piper replied. "Movie night?" I raised my hand.

"Third wheel," I said to that, and her musical laugh filled my ears. "Hang at home and watch stupid tv shows?"

"My cable's out," Jason replied. He pulled to the side of the road so he wouldn't waste any more gas. "Go to the park?" Oftentimes when all of us ran out of things to do, we'd head to Woodbury Park and play on the equipment. Piper's phone buzzed, however, cutting off our conversation. She fished it out of her pocket, glaring at the bright screen as she read over the message.

"Annabeth just texted," she replied. "She and Hazel are throwing a party and we're all invited." I smiled. A party. I wasn't much of a party guy, but it was something to do. Also a lot of my favorite people would be there. I didn't hang out with too many people, so it was telling when all of my favorites would be under one roof. "Is your sister going to be there?" Piper asked me.

"Probably," I replied to that. "I still don't know why Bia likes hanging with all of us, but she does. Especially Annabeth and Hazel. So yes, she'll be there." I also didn't understand why all my friends liked my sister. But they did. She was cool like that. I sat back and let my mind wander over the week. School was boring at best. Dad got a promotion at work, so we'd all been excited about that. But for some reason my mind kept wandering back to Percy. I'd never really given him a lot of thought. He'd just sort of existed up until this point. So I didn't understand why he'd be in my brain now.

Jason pulled up in front of Annabeth's house. We were a rather small and close-knit group, so there was a handful of other cars around, and that was all. He parked his truck across the street and hopped out, turning to help his girlfriend. I slipped out the passenger door, circling around the truck and looking up at the house. It was your typical two-story suburban affair. Nothing particularly fancy. Though I did notice her dad's car was gone. That would explain the party.

I trailed my friends inside, glancing around. Soft music played from the stereo system in the living room, and in the front entry, Annabeth and Hazel were chatting. They looked up, noticed us, and smiled. Hazel came over and gave me a hug, like she did pretty much every day. She was the youngest out of all of us, being only a sophomore, but we'd accepted her into our circle with open arms. In fact, she was almost like my second sister.

"Hey guys, glad you could make it," Annabeth greeted us. "The only rule tonight is no trashing the place. I promised my dad that the house would be clean when he returned Sunday."

"Where is he anyway?" Piper asked. Annabeth rolled her eyes. She loved her dad, but his hobbies…not so much.

"He went to go look at some new plane for his collection," she replied. "He's got the money for it this time, though, and it makes him happy, so I won't complain. You know where food and drinks are if you want them." She grabbed Piper's hand and off they went, Hazel following close behind. Jason just stood there a moment, looking stunned. I smirked.

"I believe that Annabeth has just stolen your girl," I said in a monotone. "And you were worried about me." For a moment, he didn't react, and I worried that I'd taken the joke too far. But then he burst out laughing, and my momentary panic subsided.

"You, Mr. As-much-sexual-threat-as-a-potato, I was never worried about," he said when he finally calmed down. "I should've seen Annabeth coming a mile away." I chuckled as Jay led the way into the living room. Leo and his girlfriend, Calypso, were sitting on the couch quietly chatting. Bianca was talking with Jason's older sister, Thalia, who was back from college. She loved Annabeth, so I wasn't surprised that she was here.

Our crowd was a small one, but you know, I wouldn't trade my small group of good friends for anything. Jay wandered over to talk with his sister and my sister, and I just retreated to the corner to be by myself. Don't get me wrong, I liked these guys. But parties weren't really my thing. I liked my secluded corner. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I was a little surprised when I saw I had a new message, but when I looked it over, I was even more shocked.

"Jay," I called. He looked over, and something in my expression must have portrayed how I felt, a he picked his way over to me. "Look," I said, thrusting the phone at him. He looked over the message, and his eyes narrowed.

"How fucking dare he?" he asked me, snatching my phone away. I just studied him, still in a state of shock. "We could just take this to the police," he continued. "I may just give him a piece of my mind myself."

"No," I said, giving Jay his second surprise. "Just delete it. Even if he's rude and cocky and slutty, he's still just a kid. He doesn't need the police on him. Besides, his mother seems really nice. What would she think?" Slowly, the fire died from my friend's eyes and he nodded.

"I will however block his number so he can't message you again," he said, his nimble fingers dancing over my phone screen. I sighed. Apparently, nowhere was safe from Percy Jackson.

…

Percy's POV

…

"You were great tonight," Katie said as I climbed out of her bed. I winced, tugging on my boxers and jeans. God, she was feisty for a first time client. "You've more than earned your keep tonight." I straightened and turned to her. She thrust a fifty at me, which was a lot, but I wasn't an AP student for nothing. I shook my head.

"You had me for two and half hours," I said, that would be seventy-five, not fifty." She tossed her hair in that annoying way girls did (really I didn't understand it, other than to get their hair out of their face. Any other time just seemed unnecessary).

"You'll get the other twenty-five another time," she said. "If you've been a good boy." Now I was mad. I was used to this kind of treatment after my nightly escapades, so that didn't bother me. But I needed the money she provided.

"If you want me back, you will pay me," I said angrily. She just smiled at me, and I had this sinking feeling in my stomach.

"If you want this to stay between us, and you'd rather not have people know you whore yourself out because you're a poor little boy," she began, and I flinched. She wouldn't. "Then I wouldn't be putting yourself on a very high pedestal. Besides," she added, doing another hair flip. "I could always go to the police with a sob story. Who do you think they'd believe? An innocent girl? Or a freshly fucked boy?" My jaw dropped. But, rather than stand there and endure this any longer, I fled. I ran down the street, long passed my apartment building. I couldn't look my mom in the eye. Not after that. I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't feel my legs anymore.

I can't believe I let her play me like that. I picked Katie because she seemed like a safe bet. All innocence and smiles. Man was I wrong. I'd never had someone threaten me like that before. I knew, deep down, that it was bound to happen eventually. Oh god what if she actually went to the police with this? She was right about one thing; if she said the right thing, there was no way the police would believe anything I said. Our society was a broken one, and everyone sided with the female in a situation like this. I suppose the only thing I could do is pray she didn't say anything. To anyone. I mean, what I did wasn't admirable, but I didn't think I was necessarily a bad guy.

"Percy?" I looked up to see Will. "What in God's name are you doing out here?" I opened and closed my mouth several times. "It's late. Come on kid I'll give you a ride home at least."

"Thanks Will," I said, climbing in his car. I buckled up, then stuck my hand in my pocket. Fifty dollars wasn't worth everything I'd just been through.

…

All of a sudden I wanted to write this, and I managed to do it, so yay!


	3. Chapter 3-The Truth Is Finally Revealed

So I was thinking of this while I attempted to go back to bed this morning. Don't ask me why. We're going to switch it up and start from Percy's point of view.

I've been on vacation with my friend the last few days, and it has done wonders for my creative slump. I won't promise you that after this things will be updated regularly, but damn it I'm going to try. I can't let these slip just because my outside life gets busy. This is as close to my dream career as it gets.

…

Percy's POV

…

"Mmmm, good job baby," Will purred, gently stroking my cheek. I gazed up at him in a daze, wondering, not for the first time, how I'd ended up back at his house rather than at mine. Not that it really mattered either way. Will would be paying me for everything he'd just been doing. I yawned, then curled up under the covers, intending to get some sleep before I walked home, but a quick slap to the cheek woke me up.

"What was that for?" I asked, rubbing my now sore cheek. "We've gone at it three times Will. It's already been a long day, and I'm exhausted."

"Wrong answer Percy," he said, sitting up and yanking the blanket off of me. The cool air hit my naked body, and I grimaced. "I don't care if you're tired. I'm paying you for every moment of this, and I'm not letting you sleep and racking up the dollars."

"That wasn't my intention," I explained, getting a little irritated. All I really wanted right now was a hot bath and some sleep. I was sore, sticky, and tired. It'd been a draining day, and Will had insisted that tonight was his night with me, despite just getting over being with another client. "I'm using your bathroom," I announced, rising. I stalked to the bathroom Will had attached to his room, slamming the door. I sank against it for a moment, tears pricking my eyes. I blinked them away. I knew all of this would happen. I knew when I started I'd be treated this way. But it still felt wrong and off to be treated no better than a blow up doll.

I knew Will had bath bombs under his sink, so I dug one out and started the water in the tub. He'd let me bathe here before. I watched the water slowly rise, hoping the action would calm my rapid thoughts. No such luck. I sighed. It took a lot more than running water to calm me down these days. At school, you'd swear I was calm and collected, and for the most part, you'd be right. But I was still only human, and my emotions did get the best of me at times. I dropped the bath bomb in, watching it fizz.

"Mind if I join you?" Will asked as his arms suddenly snaked around my neck. I gasped, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. "Looks nice Perce," he continued, ignoring my tiny outburst. "Care for some company?"

"I guess," I said warily. The last time this happened, we'd ended up having bath sex. I just couldn't deal with that tonight. I let out a little yelp when Will scooped me off my feet, cradling me bridal-style. He stepped into the tub and slowly eased us both down. As soon as the hot water hit my sore muscles, I began to relax. Will gently stroked my hair back.

"I'm sorry for how I've been acting," he apologized quietly. "I forgot how much of a day you've had." I sighed happily. This was nice. I liked cuddles. He continued stroking back my hair, something he knew I loved. "You're so adorable," he said at last, and the stroking ceased. I made a noise of protest, looking back at him. "Calm down baby boy," he chided gently, showing me the shampoo bottle he'd grabbed. I reached to take it, but he pulled it back. "Not so fast little one," he said.

"I'm more than capable of washing myself," I retorted with no real force. Will smirked. He then dumped some shampoo on my hair, causing me to jump. Hey, shampoo was cold. I felt his hands working though my hair, and I slowly settled back against him.

"There, that's better," he whispered. "See what happens when you let yourself be pampered for a bit?" I didn't say anything to that. I wasn't sure what I could say to that. "You never allow yourself one moment, do you?" he asked. I felt the soap leaving my head. He must've been pouring cups of water on my head now. "You know you can relax now, right?"

"Sorry," I mumbled. "Force of habit." I felt him sigh. I squirmed when he tried running a washcloth over my stomach. Too scratchy.

"Come on baby boy," he coaxed. I sighed, allowing him to clean me up. He was paying for this anyway, so I wouldn't complain if he wanted to do this. "There's a good boy," he said. "Now you're clean. Feel better?" I nodded, stifling a yawn. "Tell you what," he said, suddenly lifting me out of the water. I glared at him. I'd been enjoying that. He wrapped a nice, fluffy towel around me. "I'll pencil down the time we stopped so I can pay you accordingly, and why don't you get some rest?"

"Really?" I asked, glancing up at him. "Won't your dad wonder why I'm here?"

"Nah, dad thinks your friend anyway, so he shouldn't be suspicious," he set, gently laying me on his bed. I yawned, struggling to stay focused. He draped the blanket over me, leaned down, and kissed my forehead. "I'll wake you up in a few hours, alright?" I nodded, barely able to stay awake. "Goodnight Perce," he whispered before wrapping a towel around his waist and walking out. I briefly wondered if that was a good idea before I lost my fight to stay awake.

…

Nico's POV

…

I collapsed onto my bed, thoroughly spent from the night. We'd stayed at Annabeth's way longer than necessary, dancing and eating and talking and just generally having a good time. I smiled. Friday nights with my friends. There was nothing better in my eyes.

I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes, intending to get some sleep. But my mind decided it had other ideas. It wandered back to school this morning. I wrinkled my nose, rolling to the other side. But still, my mind refused to settle. I groaned, rolling to my back and gazing at my ceiling. I scrubbed my face with my palms. All I wanted was some sleep. But I couldn't help thinking of one thing.

Percy.

It was a miracle he crossed my thoughts at all. In fact, I'd never given him that much thought before today. Sure, Jason talked about him all the time, but that didn't mean I spent my free time daydreaming about him. Finally, I sat up, sighing in defeat. There was no way I was going to bed now. I padded quietly to the living room, glancing around. Mom and dad still weren't back yet. And Bianca had left early, so I doubt she was home either. I sat down on the couch, sitting in silence for a few moments. It was rare I just got to sit with my thoughts. But sitting didn't really do me any good, and since we lived in a relatively quiet neighborhood, I decided to shrug on a jacket and take a walk. I closed the door softly behind me, glancing up. It moon was half-hidden behind clouds, turning everything a sort of milky white. I breathed in the crisp early-autumn air. I sighed. This was better. Night time walking often did wonders for me.

I walked quietly around, looking at the dark houses. It was after midnight, and most of my neighbors had children, so it was any wonder everyone was asleep. But it wasn't causing a problem, and besides, we had friends of the force. I chuckled. Sometimes my own wit amused me. I looked around some more, noticing another figure walking my way. I gulped. I'd heard horror stories of people meeting dark figures after midnight. I was not going to be another story.

"Nico?" I froze when the figure said my name, and when I really concentrated, I realized who it was. Now I scowled. Out of all the nights to run into him, why tonight. "What are you doing out this late?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," I retorted. He gave me a crooked grin, and I noticed that he was only in a t-shirt. Not only that, but it looked like it was wrinkled as hell. "What the hell have you been doing anyway?" I asked, and for a moment, something flashed in his eyes. Hurt? But Percy never looked hurt.

"It's, uh, been a long night," he said. "I needed to clear my head." I shrugged. To each there own. "Do you, uh, mind if I walk with you? It's safer to go in pairs." I glanced sideways at him. The Great Percy Jackson, asking if he could walk with me because it was safer? And looking nervous about it?

"Um, sure," I said at last, thinking about the earful Jason would give me if he knew. Maybe I'd have to tell him about this. I'm not sure if he would even believe me. We both started off, not really saying a whole lot. I don't think he was quite sure what to say. "You never did tell me why you're out wandering around by yourself. You don't even live in this part of town."

"Will Solace does though," he replied distractedly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I was at his house." He shuffled along, studying his feet.

"As if you don't get enough," I muttered. He looked over at me, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Have fun with your sugar daddy?" I asked, since I'd witnessed Will giving him money before. The reaction from Percy was pretty much nothing I expected. He stopped dead in his tracks, and it took me a moment to realize. I looked back, staring at the form of a broken boy. "Percy?" I asked uncertainly.

"Don't…Don't tell anyone, alright?" he asked. "Yes, Will pays me for my…deeds. I desperately need the money." I opened and closed my mouth several times. "What you must think of me huh?" he asked bitterly. "Forget it." He finally walked off, his shoulders shaking. I watched him go, wondering what really went on in his life.

…

Percy's POV

…

I can't believe someone figured it out. Nico fucking di Angelo of all people. He was one of the ones who wouldn't give me the time of day. How did he see through my façade so easily? I'd carefully put up my walls so this wouldn't happen. But it fucking did.

"Oh Percy." I jumped when I let myself into my apartment. I whirled around to face mom, who was sitting in a chair in the kitchen. "I'm so glad you're home sweetie. Where have you been?"

"Uh, with Will," I said. "We went to the movies and then went back to his place for a bit." I winced, something twisting painfully inside me, just like every time I lied to her. "Oh, before I forget." I laid the ninety dollars on the table in front of her. Her eyes widened. "I, uh, ran into some extra cash. It's not much, but it'll get us food for a few days."

"Oh Percy," mom said, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. I closed my eyes before the tears could well and expose exactly how I felt. "Thank you so much honey. This helps a lot."

"I know mom, I know," I said. "Hey I'm getting tired, I'm going to head to bed." I kissed her cheek. "Love you mom."

"Love you too honey," she said, still marveling at the money in front of her. "Hey Perce." I turned back to her. "You're such a good boy. What would I do without you?" I felt a lump in my throat, and I rushed away before the tears could fall. No, I wasn't. Not by a long shot. Sometimes, I wondered just how better off she'd be if I didn't exist. She'd be a lot better off without me.

I barely closed my door before the tears began to fall. God, I hated it when my emotions got the best of me. Why couldn't I be cold and unfeeling? It would make my life so much simpler. I leaned against my door, trying desperately to smother the sobs building in my chest. My legs refused to work for the longest time, but when they finally did, I stumbled blindly to my bed, collapsing on top of the covers.

"I don't know who you're talking about mom, but I'm not a good boy," I whispered, curling up at the foot of my bed. "I'm an awful, awful boy. You can't ever know how I get that money, or you'd probably never forgive me." My sobs finally stilled, and I slowly felt my body begin to relax. The hot bath with Will felt like a lifetime ago. I wished there was a better way for me to relax here.

I finally sat up, dashing a hand under my eyes. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stumbled out into the hall, glancing into mom's room. She was in her bed, fast asleep. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Good. I really didn't want to face her right now. I tip-toed down the hall to the bathroom. I prayed that some of the money she'd gotten last paycheck went towards the one thing I wanted.

"Sweet," I whispered, finding the lavender bubble bath under the sink. I grabbed the bottle and began filling the bath. Maybe this time I'd finally wash away my sins.

…

Nico's kinda starting to get it. Next chapter will probably be more Percy/Nico bonding time.


	4. Chapter 4-Change of Heart

Yeah Percy doesn't think very highly of himself, huh? Don't you worry, things will get better… Eventually. But you all know how this goes.

Fun fact: I have Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran playing in the background as I write. Have I mentioned I have no real taste in music and will literally listen to whatever pops into my head.

…

Nico's POV

…

"So, it really happened?" Jason asked for the tenth time. I sighed, munching on my sandwich. I'd decided to bring lunch today instead of facing school lunch. "I still can't believe this. And he didn't try to just fuck you on the spot." Piper, who was sitting beside him, smacked him none-too-gently on the arm. "What was that for Pipes?" he asked, rubbing the spot she'd smacked.

"Language," was all she said. I snickered. "I do find that odd," she added. "Percy is a rather…colorful character. You said he seemed very scared and reserved?" I nodded, shoving my lunch box away. I was slowly losing my appetite.

"He said he was visiting Will Solace," I said. I hadn't told him the very last thing Percy had told me. That didn't seem like something they needed to know. Besides, it was Percy's thing to tell, and I begrudgingly respected his privacy. "You know how they seem to have an on again off again thing going on," I continued. If to prove my point, Percy sauntered into the lunch room with his true cocky attitude, Will Solace following behind.

"God can't they just get a room or something?" Jason spat. I glanced over, noticing subtle things I hadn't before. That beneath that cocky grin seemed to lurk sadness. Also, he seemed to lean as far away from Will as possible. Will, however, looked like he'd just won the lottery. He went to put a hand on Percy, and he flinched, which didn't seem to make the blonde boy happy. I rose suddenly. "Nico?" Jason asked, alarmed. But I didn't seem to hear him. I stalked over to the two of them, and Percy looked up in surprise.

"Hey, I want to talk to you," I said, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away before Will could say anything. I glanced over my shoulder at Percy, who seemed slightly relieved. I pulled him into the bathroom. "What happened?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, feigning confusion. I glared at him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He backed away. "Don't," he said softly, lowering his gaze. That did it. Before he could do anything, I grabbed him, turned him around, and lifted his shirt. "Hey!" he protested, twisting away. But not before I saw his back.

"Good god Percy," I whispered. He tugged his shirt back down, still facing away from me. "Percy…" I began, honestly not even sure where to begin. I did feel really bad for him right now. No one deserved that. "Did Will do that?" I asked at last.

"No," he said. "It's nothing alright? Just forget you saw anything. Besides," he added, whirling to face me, catching me off guard. "It's not like you care about me anyway." I blinked. "Oh, you don't think I notice how you and your friends." He said the word with much bitterness. "Talk about me. Yeah, I know. Actually, I know how everyone talks about me. No one gives a shit." He tossed that over his shoulder as he stormed out. "So don't even try and pretend." I stood there, dumbfounded. And maybe a little hurt. I hadn't been pretending.

Woah. I shook my head. I'd never really given him the time of day before now. So why, all of a sudden, could I not stand to see Will torment him? I'd never cared before. And I'd be flat out lying if I said I still didn't care. Because, as much as I didn't really want to, I did. I cared about Percy.

"Nico?" I blinked, completely unaware I'd spaced off. "Nico thank god." I gazed at Jason questioningly. "Why'd you run off anyway?" he asked, crossing his arms. "And with Percy no doubt."

"I don't…I don't even know," I said truthfully. It seemed my brain had been working on autopilot the last few minutes. "Something about the way he looked just…"

"He always looks like a cocky bastard," Jason said. "So what?" I took a deep breath in order to quell the rage rising in my chest. Geez he didn't have to be so negative. "Come on Nico. You know what he's capable of. All he wants to do is get in your pants. That's all he ever does."

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed, following Jason back to the lunch room, frowning. See, maybe a few weeks ago I might've believed him when he said that, but now I wasn't so sure. If Percy's intent had been to jump me as Jason said, wouldn't he have done it while we were alone? I mean, I'd never do something like that, but I've heard plenty of horror stories, and that seems to be a good time to do it. Also, weren't people like him really confident when it came to things like that? At the very least when they first were trying to sway a potential client. Now, don't take what I say to heart because I still have no idea. Anyway, Percy wasn't acting confident that night. Anything but in fact.

"You coming?" I snapped my attention back to Jason when he looked down at me. "I told you he wasn't paying attention," he told Piper, turning his attention to her. "You owe me a kiss."

"Later," she replied, shoving her boyfriend playfully away. "The bell rang Nico, you coming?" I shook my head, grabbing my lunch box off the table.

"You guys go ahead," I told them. "I have to go to my locker anyway." She shrugged, grabbed Jason's hand, and tugged him away. He shot me a look over his shoulder, but it was my turn to shrug. I turned the other way and slowly plodded to my locker.

"Will!" A voice hissed. I froze. No one ever really came down this hall after lunch unless they had their locker here. It was out of the way from most of the classrooms. "Will, I don't want to," the voice continued, and something pricked in the back of my mind. That voice sounded eerily familiar. "Will…"

"Just shut up Percy." The hair on the back of my neck rose. Will had Percy again? How did they slip down this hallway without anyone seeing them anyway? "I pay you to do this kind of thing anyway, so what do you have to worry about? You'll do anything for your precious money."

"That's not true and you know it!" Percy snapped, his voice rising in volume. They must've assumed they were alone. "I mean, my standards really aren't much, but I still do have standards."

"Please," Will said in a mocking tone. "Do you honestly believe that? What are you anyway? You're a good fuck, sure, but that's about it. An expensive one too I might add." I heard a gasp, and I decided that I'd had quite enough. I fled, lunch box and all. I'd return it later. I mean, I didn't think people thought much of Percy anyway, but it was one thing to think it, and one thing to actually hear it. And something inside me twisted at the words. No matter what they did, no one deserved to be treated less than another human being.

…

"Hey Bianca?" I asked, sticking my head into her room. It was after school, and what I'd overheard at lunch had bothered me all day. I had to talk to someone about it, but I really didn't feel comfortable discussing it at school. So I thought I'd come home and talk to my sister. She turned around at her desk, smiling when she saw me.

"Hey Nico," she said. "Come in." I let myself in her room, closing the door softly behind me. She closed the laptop on her desk and swiveled to face me. "What's up bro? You usually come here when you want to talk." I wrung my hands nervously in front of me. Bianca sat patiently, letting me gather my thoughts. I took a deep breath.

"You know of Percy Jackson, don't you?" I asked, gauging her reaction. Her nose wrinkled, but she didn't say anything bad about him.

"I know of him, but I don't know him personally," she said at last. "It's hard not to hear about him though. He's got a reputation after all." I nodded.

"Reputation aside," I began, and her curious gaze bore down on me. "I heard Will Solace saying some…less than desirable things to his face. And he just let him. I don't get it Bia." She pursed her lips. "I mean, maybe he hasn't made some great choices in life, but he still deserves to be treated like a human being, right?"

"I mean…" she replied, gazing down at me. She sighed. "Look Nico, I don't agree with everything he's done. But I do feel he shouldn't take all the shit." My eyes widened. My sister never swore. "That everyone throws at him. And if you feel that badly about it, talk to him, or talk to Will, or talk to someone at school." I nodded, rising. But, stopped short when I remembered something else.

"Hey Bia?" I asked. She looked at me again. "Earlier I was talking with him and reached to grab his shoulder and he ducked away. I got his shirt up." At that, I blushed, and Bianca's eyebrows rose. "And I saw…" I trailed off. God could I even say this? Bianca rose and walked over to me, gently placing her hands on my shoulders. I looked up. "I saw all these bruises and cuts," I said at last. "Like someone's been hitting him or scratching him. I don't…I don't like it."

"I don't know what to tell you Nico," she said at last. "It may be nothing. But if you feel like it's something, I trust you'll do the right thing." Very slowly, I nodded. I left her room, thinking hard. Maybe it really was nothing. After all, nothing looked new. But I decided that, if something new happened, I'd tell someone.

…

Percy's POV

…

Mom would probably be really disappointed if she found out I left school early, but I just couldn't stay any longer. True, it hadn't been the first time Will had said something like that to me. But weeks upon weeks of being constantly degraded took so much out of me. I sighed as I sank face-first on my bed. I wanted to scream in frustration. I certainly didn't have any tears left in me. I sighed and rolled onto my side, kicking my shoes off.

My mind wandered back to that minute in the bathroom with Nico, and him finding out about my less than desirable dates. Yeah, things didn't always end happy. In fact, it ended that way more than I cared to admit, but it helped pay the bills, so I'd endure it for as long as I could. Maybe I could've gotten a real job by now, but I doubt anyone would hire me with my sky high reputation. I wondered briefly why Nico seemed to care about me in the slightest. After all, he never had before.

"Where were you the nights I was so sore I couldn't sleep?" I asked the wall. "Where were you the nights I had to walk home in shame because my date bailed on me and I can't drive? Where we you those nights that my emotions ran so fast that I couldn't catch up? Where were you?" I blinked away the sudden onslaught of tears. God I'd gone soft. No one ever made me question myself this much before.

It was a stupid thing to worry about too. As long as I did this as a way of living, I would always be treated like a second class citizen. And why shouldn't I? It wasn't like I amounted to much anyway. What was a guy like me good for anyway? Sure, my grades were good, and I had a good amount of intelligence (which in all honesty, in today's society, bordered on genius), and everyone said I had adequate looks. If I really put my mind to it, I probably could've had a bright future. But as soon as mom began struggling like she did, and there was something I could do about it, I just couldn't sit around. And I threw my bright future right out the window in order to make sure my mom never had to worry about whether or not we'd have electricity in the morning, or whether there wouldn't be food in the fridge. My mom supported me my entire life; I couldn't just sit idly as her world crumbled around her and it got harder and harder.

This time around, I let the tears flow freely. I wouldn't allow myself to cry over just anything, but every time I thought of mom, it just got to be too much. She could never know what I did to get that extra money. And it had been awhile in fact. Sure, she'd asked a couple times in the past, but I'd always shrugged her off and told some bullshit lie.

I sat up, my grieving for my past self done. I dashed a hand under my eyes, breathing deeply and evenly a few times, calming the race around my chest. In fact, I'd had several responses to my last message, and I'd probably do good to get ready for my date tonight. Yes, I was well aware that date nights were usually reserved for the weekends, but I had to do it whenever they wanted. The "perks" of working in the profession I did I guess. I plodded to my bathroom, turning the shower on. It sputtered a few times before the steady stream came, and I glanced at it in worry. I'd been slowly saving my money in order to get a new shower, only giving mom money when I knew she desperately needed it. Hopefully it would last until I got enough, or I wasn't sure what we'd do.

…

Another glimpse into Percy's past. Also, I'm quite proud of the update schedule I've seemed to get myself into. I really am trying to get things coming on a more regular basis.


	5. Chapter 5-The Real Monsters

Yep yep yep. I have no idea what I'm doing (as usual). So I guess I'll just get writing.

Okay guys. A lot has happened in a about a nine month span. First I'm going to say that I've still been writing, and if you follow me on wattpad you'd be able to keep up with that. The reason for the small change in platforms is because I got into kpop last March, and wattpad has a bit of a bigger platform for kpop stories. So yeah.

Now the big thing that happened. As a lot of you know, my birthday is in June. I usually do updates around then. Well, two days after my birthday last year, my house caught on fire. My parents and my little brother were thankfully not home, and both of my cats were okay. But god guys. It's been so hard to pick myself up again after that. I've been trying. But as weeks stretched into months and the end of the year fast approached, I don't know. A lot of my motivation left the building. I'll continue with this at the end, so if you want more you can read at the bottom.

…

Nico's POV

…

Percy seemed to be avoiding me, and quite frankly, I was annoyed by the fact. All I wanted to do was have a civilized conversation with him. I sat in class, drumming my fingers against the desk, contemplating the best way to go about talking to him. Slowly, I was beginning to realize Percy was actually a very fragile being. He seemed like this really big tough guy. And at times he was. But he was breaking inside.

"Nico?" I blinked, gazing at my teacher. "Did you hear the question?" I blushed, slowly shaking my head. "I thought so. Pay attention, alright?" If at all possible, my face grew hotter, and I nodded. She went back to her lesson, and I went back to my daydreaming.

I was very thankful when the bell rang for the next period. I gathered my things and stuffed them in bag, remembering to get the assignment from someone before I left. I decided to go to my locker to grab some things before next class. I had to cut through the lunch room again, and I noted that Percy was here, sitting at a table.

"Hey," I said as I approached. He flinched, then looked up. My heart broke a little when I saw the tear tracks on his cheeks. But soon enough, his cold expression resurfaced. "Look Percy," I began, standing awkwardly at the end of his table. "I want to talk about…what happened yesterday."

"Why?" he asked venomously. "So you can mock me like the rest of them." I was taken aback by that comment. As far as I knew, despite how everyone talked about him, he wasn't usually talked down much. "Go ahead if you wish. There's nothing you can say that hasn't been said to me before." Slowly, I shook my head. Faintly, I heard the bell ring in the background, but I decided this was a little more important than classes. "Well?" he asked.

"Do you really think I'd mock you?" I asked instead. That seemed to stop him. He looked puzzled for a moment.

"Why wouldn't you?" he asked at last. "Your friends do. The rest of the class does. Will does. So why would you be any different." I shook my head again. One of these days I was going to kill Will for seemingly traumatizing this boy. "You obviously think very highly of me," he continued bitterly.

"I think you're human," I said, and the fire fizzled within him. He slumped back. "And you should be treated like a human. Which is what we all haven't been doing. For what it's worth, I really am sorry." Percy sprang up, causing me to jump back.

"Don't you dare apologize if you don't really mean it," he accused. I blinked. What? "No one ever cares about me. Why would they? I'm nobody special. I'm less than nobody. Don't go pretending you care when you obviously don't." I studied Percy with this gut-wrenching emotion. How the hell was he treated so badly that he couldn't even believe that someone actually cared about him? "The only one who ever cares is mom," he continued. "No one else. Not my stepdad. Not my classmates. Not Will. And certainly not you." With that said, he stormed off, leaving me both dumbfounded and heartbroken.

What the hell just happened?

Maybe I could've stayed there all day, just debating my life in general, but Piper materialized out of nowhere. She gently took my elbow and led me away. I think she took me to the nurse, since the next thing I knew I was laying on that cot in a dark room, facing the wall. Piper, bless her soul, sat beside me, quietly doing work while I collected my thoughts.

"So Nico, what happened?" she asked at last, setting her schoolwork aside. "Why were you just standing in the lunch room looking lost?" I opened and closed my mouth several times, internally debating what all to tell her. "Percy?" she asked at last. "I saw him storming off."

"I don't get it Pipes," I replied at last, rolling to face her. "He acts like he's the latest and greatest thing but he isn't. And I don't even say that to be malicious." I closed my eyes, chasing away the image of Percy scared out of his mind, throwing verbal insults at me in a clear display of fight or flight. "You should see him, and I mean really see him, outside of school," I added. "He's not what you think he is."

"A player?" she asked me, the doubt all too evident in her voice. "Don't get sucked in too deep Nico. You know how good at fabricating tales he is." I swallowed, turning away again. And I did know. I knew it all too well. But this didn't seem like any old story to me. His reactions felt too genuine to simply be an act. He'd been so hurt as I tried to apologize. And what was the bit about only his mom caring? "Just please be careful, okay Nico?" she said as gently as she could, resting a palm against my cheek. My fingers brushed hers. "I just don't want you to be added to the long list of Percy Jackson's conquests. You're far too sweet for that."

"I'll be careful," I promised her. "And I'll try my hardest to make sure my feelings don't get in the way of my senses." She still seemed uneasy, but she nodded nonetheless. She rose, throwing a little wave over her shoulder as she went. Once she was out of sight, I crumpled again. I may not have always been the brightest kid, but it didn't take a genius to see that Percy Jackson wore a mask. A good one. He had a whole population fooled. But the more I saw him, the faker the mask became, and the more his true colors began to shine through.

"How are you feeling?" I looked up as the nurse approached. I simply shook my head. I had no idea how I was feeling, physically, mentally, or emotionally. "You can stay here for this period," she continued, pulling a hall pass out of her desk. "But next period you'll need to go back."

"That's fine," I told her, accepting the hall pass. I stuck it in my jeans pocket. Then I rolled to face the wall again, closing my eyes. A nap sounded good right now. And my whirlwind of thoughts could use a break.

…

Percy's POV

…

The nerve of some people I swear. When I first caught Nico approaching me, I decided I'd just let him be. But he dared try spewing lies in my face in the form of sugar-coated apologies. No one cared about me, certainly not enough to apologize. And maybe I'd acted a bit rash, yelling and then storming off like a spoiled child. But in this world, it was either fight for myself, or submit to whatever latest torture it had for me. And I'd much rather go down fighting.

I set up camp in an abandoned classroom, finally deciding to hide out for the remainder of the day. I never skipped classes, despite what my classmates thought of me. I was diligent. I had to be. If mom and I ever stood a chance, I had to be on top of my game. But days like today, where my brain and my nerves were already fried beyond recognition, it all just became too much. I was good at hiding behind the curtain to my show most days, watching the audience reaction as I dazzled with my performance. But some days the real me ditched the actor persona, feeling real things, letting words and thoughts dig their way under my skin. Some days words and reputation didn't bother me at all, and others it was like I was drowning on dry land.

"Percy?" I flinched when my name was called. No. No couldn't you leave me alone for just one day. Just leave me alone. I was so sick of this. "Baby boy, come on now, I know you're in there," Will soothed. "Come on out. Let's talk."

"Go away Will," I said wearily, most of the fight leaving my body. "I don't want to interact with people right now." I waited, straining to listen. I heard a small sigh, followed by the sounds of retreating footsteps. I removed my mask, my hard exterior falling away as the tears flowed down, unrelenting and never-ending. Some days I felt like the king of the world. And some days I felt about as significant as a fly on the wall.

Why? Why did life seem to want to knock me down time and time again? I worked so hard to build a platform for myself, on stable enough ground. I didn't need to be knocked off at every opportunity. Every time I thought I'd come out ahead, I was actually about three steps back from where I'd started. Like with Katie. She's seemed like a sweet girl. A bit of a pushover maybe, and with a lot of money left to spend, but I wasn't really a bad guy.

I was just a desperate and lost boy trying to find his way.

I pulled myself together shortly after. I hated the fact I had it, but I did still have a reputation to uphold. No one could shake me, the unmovable Percy Jackson. I was as steady as a rock, and no one knew otherwise. Except Will, but he was the exception to a lot of things. Because while he maybe didn't always treat me right, I could turn to him time and time again, and he'd never leave me. I felt the mask sliding back into place, my signature cocky grin crossing my features. I was Percy fucking Jackson. And no one could shake me. Not Katie. Not Will. And certainly not Nico.

…

Nico's POV

…

"How'd your little talk go?" Bianca asked me, gently pushing her way into my room. I twisted around to look at her, sighing. She perched on the edge of my bed. "What happened?" she asked me. I raked my fingers through my hair, abandoning my school work.

"I'm…confused," I admitted. "I tried talking to him, but it was almost like he wouldn't believe somebody was trying to treat him like a real human being. He accused me of not meaning a thing I said, saying only his mom cared about him, and then he stormed off. I don't really know what to do." I let that all out in one breath, and once I was done, I gulped down some oxygen. Bianca looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I don't really blame him," she said at last. "Think Nico. How do your classmates really treat him?" I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. At last, I bowed my head. We treated him like shit. We treated him no better than we treated a piece of garbage meant to be thrown away. Is that how he felt? Like he was no better than a piece of rubbish, only meant to be tossed aside once we were done with him? What a horrible mentality to have. "I'm imagining that once word got out, he wasn't received the best. And how long as this been going on?"

"A while," I whispered, barely audible. But Bianca caught it. She nodded slowly.

"So he's spent a good portion of high school believing he was nothing better than a good time, and that was all he was good for." I winced. Maybe Percy wasn't the monster after all. "I kind of don't blame him when someone shows the smallest amount of kindness towards him that he'd act this way. In his shoes, I don't know if I'd believe anyone cares about me."

"Someone has to though, right?" I asked at last, a little desperately, glancing up at her. She chewed her lower lip, but didn't say anything. My stomach hit the floor. "His mom," I said. But was that enough? Percy had to know that somebody cared about him in some way, right? Someone had to. Will? The two of them were seen together so often, I was surprised they weren't an actual couple.

"I don't know," Bianca said, derailing my train of thought. "I guess only he can decide that, and nothing will change his mind if he firmly believes it." She rose, came over to me, and kissed the side of my head. "Good night little brother," she said, leaving as quietly as she came. I sat at my desk for so long, trying to decide if there was something I could do to show Percy that I was sincere in my attempts to apologize to him. Who knows, maybe I could even become his friend.

Slowly but surely, I was starting to realize Percy wasn't the monster we made him out to be. Sure, he was sexually active, but what teenage boy wasn't. And he was hard to approach at times, but it wasn't impossible. I was starting to believe that in this play we'd constructed, the real monsters sat in the audience, gawking and making a spectacle out of the actor on stage, who only did this because he was terrified of his reality, and this was the best way he could think to escape it.

…

Alright I want to start this author's note out by saying thank you so much for having more patience than a saint with me while I slowly try to put myself together again. And thank you, as always, for all the support, the comments, and the reads. I read every single comment, and believe me when I say that they make me happy beyond words. I'm glad so many people enjoy what I do, which further cements my dream of becoming a writer full time.

I promise guys. I promise something. I promise to keep trying my best. I don't know if I will ever truly be the same as I was before the fire, but I will try as hard as I can to try and get there. I will also try my hardest to make sure that I get back into a more regular update schedule. Hold me to that this year guys. If I slack, kick me in the butt.


	6. Chapter 6-Fighting

Guys. I just watched one of my favorite kpop groups have a near one hour livestream. My retinas are burning. Let's burn them some more. And for those who are wondering, my Wattpad is under the same name as this account. LIFE the RANGER. My profile pic is two pink-haired boys. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

…

Nico's POV

…

After our confrontation the other day, Percy and I were right back to square one. I'd walk on different sides of the hall again, but not all by choice. We'd avoid each other in class, and definitely wouldn't speak to each other at lunch any more. Jason seemed relieved about this fact, stating it was better for me this way. And for the first few days, I agreed with him. My life had been just fine before Percy entered it. It would be just fine as it was. But as the days dragged by, I couldn't help but feel something was horribly missing. I'd grown rather fond of Percy, probably against my better judgement, and while we mostly exchanged harsh words, I'd grown to enjoy hearing his voice.

"You're extra mopey today," Jason commented after our shared language class. "Usually you're gloom, but not nearly pouting." I simply rolled my eyes, and Jay bumped his shoulder against mine. "I don't mean any offense by that," he added, his playful tone dropping away. "Seriously though Neeks, what's up? You haven't really been acting like yourself lately. You've been very distant."

"Have I?" I asked him. I guess I hadn't noticed myself slowly pulling away from my friends. "I can't help it I keep thinking about…" I snapped my jaw shut. Jason turned to me.

"Percy?" he asked, though any maliciousness from previous encounters was all but gone. Slowly, I nodded, biting my lip guiltily. I hadn't meant to let him consume my thoughts. "I still don't see what you see in him exactly," Jason continued, staring straight ahead, lost in thought. "But you're my best friend, and if being with him in any way would make you happy…" He trailed off, turning to study me. I'm sure he could see the fire on my cheeks. I ducked my head quickly. "Piper mentioned you have a different opinion on him now?"

"I…" I began, but halted when the person in question swung his way around the corner, a scowl on his face. He passed by without a pause. To the normal passerby, he appeared to be in a hurry to get to class, oozing with confidence. But as I took the time to really study him, I noticed the slight hunch in his posture. I noticed the rumpled clothing. I closed my eyes. He was at it again.

I wasn't sure why, but I was starting to worry about him. I was sure he took very good care of himself, and made sure that he handled all of his "clients" in a professional way, but STDs were a real thing, and judging from what I'd seen on his body, people weren't always nice. I wanted to help him in some way, but I just didn't know how.

"You okay?" Jason asked after an unnecessarily long stretch of silence. "You look like you've just seen a ghost." At this point, Will made his way around the corner. When his eyes landed on me, they narrowed. I gulped, watching helplessly as he strode over. He grabbed my wrist before I could comprehend what was going on. "Hey!" I heard behind me. I twisted to see Jason running after us.

"Cut the crap, Grace," Will growled. "I'm just borrowing him for a moment. I promise your precious Nico will return to you in one piece." He shoved me into an empty classroom, turning and locking the door behind him. He turned to me. I scurried to the far corner of the room. "Alright di Angelo," he said at last. "You've got Percy all sorts of fucked up right now, and that kid is way too good for that. For you."

"Excuse me?" I asked, suddenly seeing red. "Just because I won't jump him doesn't mean I'm not 'good enough' for him. And who gave you the right to go around saying that anyway? If you cared about him at all, you wouldn't be letting any of this happen. You'd stop it. But I forgot, all he is to you is a good fuck, but an expensive one." Will's jaw hit the floor, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel even a little satisfied. "Face it Will, I'm the only one who cares about him before his reputation."

"Then where the fuck have you been for months on end as he sells his body to survive?!" Will exploded, and my heart plummeted. "There's been nights I at least went to go get him after a date stood him up, or when a client got so out of hand I debated calling the cops. Percy seems like this big tough guy but he's not. Where were you the nights he had to pick up pieces of his heart off the floor because they'd been trampled on? Where were you on nights where he was so exhausted even walking looked like it was painful? You weren't there to dry his tears. But I was. Sure, I fuck him. Who doesn't? And sure, I pay him for all of it. But at least I can say I was there when he was at his lowest, trying to pick him up." Through all of that, all I could do was stand motionless, letting the words slap me in the face.

"You're right," I agreed at last, and that stopped his rambling dead in its tracks. "I wasn't there for those nights. I thought what everyone else thought. That Percy was a slut and just liked a good time. But." I held up a hand as Will went to protest. "I should've never assumed a thing. And I want to be there for nights like that." I'd been juggling that thought for a while, wondering how true it was. But it fell so easily from my lips. "I want to try Will. I want to pick up his broken pieces for him, but he's so untrusting. And I don't blame him a bit."

"Are you sure that's really what you want?" Will asked skeptically. "No one ever takes an interest in Percy that way. As you said, they see him as a slut. Are you really sure you want that?" Did I? Before I could even think about it, I was nodding.

"Yes," I replied automatically, my body knowing what to do even before my mind did. "I really do. I wouldn't be talking to you if I didn't. How do I get him to trust me? That everything I say to him is sincere and I'm not just saying things he wants to hear?" Will shook his head.

"It's not easy Nico," he said softly, and I was surprised by the change in tone. "He barely trusts me. It took me years to get him to open up around me. It will take a long time. Are you still sure you want to do this? You can back out now, and we'll pretend this entire conversation didn't happen. Percy can go back to doing what he does, and you can scurry back to your friends and pretend he doesn't exist."

"No," I said firmly. "I'm not giving up that easily. I'd rather go down fighting than with my tail between my legs. Besides." I looked him square in the eye. "Someone like Percy is worth fighting for."

…

Percy's POV

…

"You were really good." I grimaced at that, but swallowed my pride. Doing this at school was always on my list of taboo things, but I'd long ago tossed that list out the window. Kris had offered me a nice payout if we could sneak around the school all day, and I'd done that. The final bell had rung over an hour ago. I was beyond exhausted and just ready to go home. But there was no way I was going home empty handed. Not after the things I'd done today.

"Yes, well," I said, clearing my throat a little. I'd have to get some new mouthwash after this. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the taste of him out of my mouth. "I help up my end of the deal, now you have to hold up your end." A wad of bills was thrust as me, and I counted them. "You're twenty short," I informed him, not in the mood to play games today. "I can mark that down and you can pay me another day, alright?" I turned to leave, only to be grabbed roughly by the shoulders and shoved against the wall. My eyes widened.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked in a dangerously low tone. I swallowed hard. It was probably a good thing he was holding me up, because I'm sure I would've crumpled to the ground at this point. "I wasn't done with you yet slut." That one was like a slap to the face, and tears blurred my vision before I could stop them. "You're a pathetic slut at that," he continued, a cocky grin overtaking his features. "You're too damn soft. Too easy to manipulate. It's no wonder news travels fast on the grapevine, hmm?"

"What do you mean?" I whispered, not trusting myself to speak.

"Ever wonder why so many people are around for your beck and call, yet you're always stood up for date nights, or taken advantage of when you do finally manage to get them in bed." I ducked my head. I'd been ignoring that fact up until this point. "It's because you have no fucking backbone, yet are willing to do just about anything. And the people eat it up. But face it, all you are is a pretty face and fantastic fuck. Nobody special." He left a trail of kisses up my jawline, and I squirmed. I stopped, however, when a loud slap resounded across the room, leaving my cheek stinging. My hand flew up of its own accord, gently touching the hot skin. If that didn't leave a hand mark, I would be greatly surprised. "And I'm far from done with you boy," he continued, one hand dropping to the zipper on his pants. "You still have some deeds to do."

"No," I said as he forced me to my knees. "No, I refuse." But that was the wrong thing to say. All Kris did was smirk, and I knew that I would not be safe. Not by a long shot.

…

"Hello Percy." I glanced up as mom greeted me, as well as the smell of something cooking on the stove. "How was school?" I swallowed, wincing at the pain. Kris was…quite big…and I was sore pretty much everywhere.

"It was good," I lied. I'd gotten so good at that over the months. School was good. Life was good. I definitely didn't feel like I was breaking inside. "I have a lot of homework, so I'm going to go get that started. Call me when dinner is ready." I made a beeline for my room, ignoring her concerned look. I refused to let her see under the disguise I made for myself. I refused to let her see what was going on behind the scenes. She didn't need that burden on top of everything else.

I did have a lot of homework. That at least wasn't a lie. And I did intend to start it. But as soon as I had the books open in front of me, my mind began to wander. About how I was going to keep up with classes if this continued. About how I'd keep clients coming if all the really saw was just a pretty face. About how mom and I would survive if I couldn't keep the money coming, or if people kept shorting me and expecting to get away with it. And about Nico.

Yes, I'd been avoiding him all week. And yes, it hurt like hell. I had no idea why, but I'd grown such a soft spot for him, even if all he did was talk a big game and not mean a single word of it. Maybe some small part of me still clung to the hope that he did care, but the larger, more sensible part of me knew better. No one cared. It was just a fact.

I abandoned the idea of homework when all I did was stare at a blank notebook page and an open math textbook for a solid twenty minutes. I threw myself onto my bed, scrubbing my face with my hands. Despite the fact I felt exhausted, I knew sleep was a long time coming. I honestly had a hard time deciding which was worse; my reality during the day, or the nightmares that plagued me at night. Those definitely scared me more. Some nights I'd wake up in cold sweat after something went "too far" and I had to watch myself be snuffed out. Other nights I'd wake up in tears, the pain in the dreams being so intense I could feel it even if I was wide awake.

"Percy, dinner!" mom called at last. I lifted tired eyes to the door, swung my legs over the side, and rose on feet that felt like lead. I plodded slowly down the hall, standing in the doorway to the kitchen, watching mom bustle around, getting things prepared.

 _You're doing it for her_ , the little voice in the back of my mind spoke up. _All that you're doing, all that you're enduring, it's all for her. Remember, she's given you so much. It's the least you can do_. I sucked in a breath, squaring my shoulders. I wasn't doing this for me, or for my classmates. I was doing this for mom, the woman who gave me everything. It really was the least I could do. So I'd continue to live with the pain for as long as I could. Because seeing her face light up every day we got by was always worth it.

…

Fun fact, I wrote this all in one go. I'm on fire today.


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